Chapter 30

My mouth went slack. Blinking twice, my eyes automatically flipped up to the board.

"You solved it? It's done? What is it?"

He smiled faintly. Almost sadly.

"The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture of finite and infinite numbers."

My eyes now also went wide.

"You mean that problem you and your friend has been working on?"

"I was merely helping him write a thesis about the problem. To better understand it, I started to work on it, just to get a better look into the dilemma. After our lunch, he had so many flaws in his thesis that I tried to point out to him. He refused to believe me, so I continued onward with the problem," He nodded up at

the board where the text in front of me now suddenly seemed.

I almost sacred.

"I never meant to solve it, but, then... it just came to me one night."

"You mean... that night you were writing in that little book?" I asked, seeing him give a single nod after a moment's pause.

I swallowed dryly, feeling my throat suddenly feel tighter.

Holy shit.

Did that mean I had actually helped?

"The next morning, I applied the last numbers to the problem and it somehow added up. I went over and over it again, but it seems to be... correct." He finished

I frowned a little when his expression seemed less than thrilled.

"But that's good news then, isn't it? I mean... your friend will be thrilled, won't he?"

Harry pressed his lips together, and that's when it hit me.

He wouldn't be thrilled.

"Oh," I whispered to myself, lowering my gaze.

"If I admit my proof to the Millennium board and they deem it correct, my friend will be ridiculed on his thesis. It's due to publish tomorrow," He voiced.

"And you can't call him and tell him you solved it, because then he'll think you went behind his back and used his research to help solve it," I finished for him, seeing him slowly nod.

"In truth, I did the exact opposite of what he did," Harry rubbed his chin with his thumb as his brows creased into a tight mien.

"He wouldn't listen to me that day. If I publish it, it'll look like I tried to deliberately make a fool of him."

Well, shit.

I had no idea the mathematic world could be so competitive and scheming. Even though I could see his point, it still didn't make the fact that he had nonetheless solved it any less true.

Or amazing.

"So... What are you going to do?" I asked, turning my eyes to see Harry staring up at his blackboard as well.

His lips twitched a little.

"And in there lies my problem."

"Damn," I murmured, staring up at the board like him. I couldn't believe it….

"Wait... does this mean... you solved another millennium prize-worthy problem?"

Was I looking at a million bucks right now?

"I suppose that's correct."

"And you're contemplating not sharing it with the world and getting a million dollars... all because you don't want to stab your friend in the back?" I stated, now turning my eyes down to Harry in disbelief to see him chuckle quietly.

"You know I don't care about the money," He dismissed and then sighed, spinning his chair around.

"My only dilemma is whether or not to let him publish his thesis and let him make a fool out of himself by himself, or publish this to save him from inevitable humiliation and public scrutiny, but subsequently also offend him."

- And my biggest dilemma of the day had been whether to wear my comfy panties or a thong.

I couldn't believe real world people actually had trouble like this.

Harry's world really was a strange one. Conniving brothers, pregnancy scams, and now million-dollar dilemmas. It really put things into perspective.

"And you'll be called a bastard either way," I said, now leaning back on his desk to observe him start to go through his drawers, looking for something. "Either by the public for double-crossing your friend, or by your friend for solving it behind his back."

"And that is why I'm not going to do anything about it."

He finally found what he was looking for, which turned out to be an old Polaroid camera which had collected a bit of dust at the back of his drawer. He blew on it a bit and started to check the lens while I processed his words.

"You're not... going to do anything about it?" I echoed, watching him use his napkin to clean the dusty lens.

"So, you're just going to shelf the solution that I'm sure thousands of mathematicians have worked the majority of their lives trying to solve, all to save

a friend from some gunfire?"

Harry chuckled a little again, but then turned around and stood up, turning on the camera.

"I can always change my mind later."

I snorted, but shook my head with a smile as he started to aim the camera. He shot a snap of it, the camera spitting out the picture with a whirring sound.

"Okay, just wait then. Hold on for a moment."

I jumped off the desk as Harry rose a brow and watched me march up to the blackboard. I puffed up my hair and fixed my dress, before making a big deal out of standing like a car model, showcasing off the blackboard with an exaggerated smile.

"Alright, go ahead."

Harry shook his head, but I saw his lips lift as he lifted the lens again and took another picture. I smiled extra sweetly and cheesily, just for good measure.

The camera flashed, and with another whirring sound, it started spitting it out. As I walked back to the desk, Harry grabbed the little square piece and let it air dry.

"There. Now at least you can say you did your best to make it look interesting," I chirped as he gave me a flat look.

I still had no idea what this problem proved, but at least now there was a hot

lady in it.

"Thank you," He replied, a little too facetiously for my taste.

I chose to ignore this one as well.

"So now what?" I asked as I sat back down on the desk, continuing to eat my sandwich.

"You wipe the board down and start on the next big problem? How many are left anyway? And how many of them have you solved? I feel like you should give someone else a chance."

He chuckled again and sat down in his chair, laying both the pictures and the camera back down to where they had come from.

"Where's the sport in that?"

I pursed my lips as he picked up his cutlery and resumed eating

his lunch as well.

"Someday, someone is going to slap you."

And as he chuckled and sipped his tea to that, I silently thought that person might just end up being me.